Outdoor concert for downtown OK’d

The Lawrence City Commission votes to allow downtown Lawrence to host a new outdoor concert. Enlarge video

City commissioners and Lawrence concert promoters are singing from the same sheet of music when it comes to a major outdoor concert in downtown.

Commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting unanimously approved a request by Lawrence's Pipeline Productions to stage a concert featuring the alternative country-rock band Wilco on May 14.

The event will take place on vacant lots near the intersection of Ninth and New Hampshire streets.

"It sounds like fun to me," City Commissioner Mike Amyx said.

It also could end up being profitable. Brett Mosiman with the Lawrence-based Pipeline Production said the concert would attract people from throughout the Midwest. He said when Wilco - which is a Grammy-winning group that has been receiving significant national attention - played in Kansas City about two years ago, the concert produced ticket sales from 26 states.

"I guarantee you that this event will introduce downtown Lawrence to new people," Mosiman said.

The event is expected to attract a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 people. The promoters have struck a deal to use the two vacant lots on the southeast and southwest corner of the intersection. Tuesday's approval also will allow promoters to close down much of the 900 block of New Hampshire Street to use for the concert. The entire area will be fenced to keep people who haven't purchased tickets from entering the area, although promoters promised to accommodate people needing to enter and leave the Lawrence Arts Center.

Mosiman said the site is a good one for concerts, in part because it is adjacent to the city's parking garage. He told commissioners that he wants to hold out the possibility of staging other concerts at the site and said he would be willing to pay the city a fee for the use of the city street.

The concert is expected to run from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., although the street likely will close about 6 a.m. to allow set-up work for the concert to begin. Tickets will go on sale through Pipeline Productions - which includes The Bottleneck and The Granada - on April 4.

Comments

Most of us oldsters don't mind giving the youngsters a little fun. Kind of reminds me of CityWalk in Hollywood. It works there with no problems, now about some bands for the older generations.............

I'm not opposed to the idea, but who will be paying for police, fire, medical, street sweepers, etc? If the event is profitable I believe the promoter should be footing these costs rather than my tax dollars.

Thanks music promoters for stepping up to the plate! Thumbs up and hats off! How about a blues/jazz festival in the fall say in October?

Sounds like a venture to increase tourism to Lawrence,Kansas.

Bring on the fun and revenue for downtown merchants and the tax revenue for the city hall cookie jar. Excellent idea. Concert attendees spend money and love to have a good time. Keep plenty of water(not in plastic please),juice(for children) and recycling containers around please.

Other ideas for Downtown Lawrence, Inc , city hall and our tourism department to be thinking about, keeping in mind all downtown events should be scheduled when ALL schools are in session:

Public transportation will be essential to tourists.
What I like about tourism is people come,have fun,spend some money then go home. Fun things will draw larger crowds consistently, more so than historical events.

As always I still say focusing on what exists and what works may bring in more economic growth than spending lots of money trying to create something which may not ever pay back.

We know some things do work in Lawrence,Kansas so why not do more?
* Cycling competition brings people from all over the USA and maybe the world. Cyclist like Lawrence,the terrain and its' proximity as the center of the USA more or less which means less traveling time.
*Art Fairs are popular so why not schedule in two or three more and do them on Mass Street.Country Club Plaza and Wesport do these every year with music and Lawrence people do attend. In addition to making the Lawrence Art Walk a large affair that attracts more folks from kcmo/joco,Shawnee County,Leavenworth County etc etc. First Fridays in KCMO bring out a ton of people even Lawrence faces.
*KU Natural History Museum
*Try a spring and fall garden show on Mass Street cuz so many people just about everywhere love looking at Landscape ideas and beauiful plants. Invite in a ton of landscapers from surrounding communities and organic farmers with some Bluegrass music in the background.
* How about two sidewalk sales instead of one? One in the first week of May and and one in the first week of October with music. When KU students are in town.
* How about a Blues and Jazz Festival in downtown Lawrence such that KCMO does? Blues stage on 7th street/ Jazz stage on 8th street. Replay Lounge doing something on 10th street. Allow local vendors to cater the events. Schedule this event when KU sudents are around. Lawrence has a solid music history
* There is always the idea of creating swimming events considering the number of pools available in Lawrence,
Kansas.
*Sunflower Games
*Basketball and Football home games. Hey Chancellor how about all the home games in Lawrence. Networks know where Lawrence is so let's bring them to Lawrence as often as possible. The hotel and food establishments need their business:.thank you for your consideration.

Just because someone enjoys a certain type of music i.e. country, that does not mean all of the 150,000 fans at the country stampede are all dirty, underage drinking hicks. Only someone as ignorant as you would make a statement like that Mariann.

The City Commissioners should have agreed to allow this event to take place provided that the tickets be sold at a very low price. It would be a nice year-end send off to the KU students and a low ticket price would make it more available for them. (Remember what it was like to live on Ramen Noodles and macaroni and cheese?) Also, since the public is being inconvenienced by the street closure, cheap tickets would be a good trade-off.

If I want to have a reception at the train station, or rent the gazebo in South Park for an event, or reserve the pool, or any recreation facility, I have to pay, but Mosiman is not required to pay a fee to close off a city street and produce an event that will require additional police support??

There are other great things in store for downtown this summer. The Arts Center and Downtown Inc. are helping to organize a street performers festival in August as the students return. This will not just be your ordinary musician and a cup type acts but real amazing unique acts from across America. Stay tuned for more information about that.